Reunion
by autumnrose2010
Summary: When Dorothy was still married to Stan, they had a brief encounter with a Soviet sailor who soon returned to his home country. Thirty years later, she's saying good-bye to Michael at the airport when their paths cross again by chance. Now that she's single, will she get another chance at love?
1. Chapter 1

The day Yuri and his daughters arrived happened to be the same day Michael Zbornak and his family departed for a two-year stint in Germany. Dorothy, Kate, her husband Alex, and their baby daughter came to the airport to say good-bye to them.

"I can't believe I won't see you again for two more years!" Kate exclaimed as she hugged Annie Zbornak good-bye.

"I'll keep in touch," Annie promised.

"Be sure and send plenty of pictures!"

"Of course I will!"

Yuri and his daughters arrived just then.

Yuri was completely bald now, and his mustache was gone. As his eyes met those of Dorothy for the first time in nearly thirty years, something inexplicable happened. "We meet again, lovely lady," he said, taking Dorothy's hand and kissing it.

"Hi," Dorothy said. "This is my daughter Kate, my son-in-law Alex, and my granddaughter Hailey."

Yuri grinned, showing his still-perfect teeth. "My daughters, Inna and Zoya." He indicated the two young women who accompanied him. They were both dark-complected with dark hair and eyes like Yuri's. Both girls smiled shyly as they shook hands with the three adults.

"How is your husband?" Yuri asked Dorothy.

"We're divorced."

"I am very sorry."

"How about you? Are you married?"

Yuri shook his head. "I was. My wife, she die in car crash two years ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" said Dorothy.

"It is all right. You had son too, yes?"

"Michael. He and his family just left for Germany for two years."

"I know that you will miss them," Yuri said sympathetically.

Dorothy sighed. "I don't want to think about it."

In the meantime, Inna and Zoya were talking to Alex and Kate and making a big fuss over Hailey. The little girl let both young women hold her without crying.

At Yuri's insistence Dorothy accompanied him and his daughter to their motel room. "We have much to catch up on," he told her.

"Yes, I suppose we do," she agreed.


	2. Chapter 2

Dorothy didn't know what to expect as she, Alex, and Kate followed Yuri to his motel room. The first time she'd met him, she'd been quite frightened of him, and now that he was suddenly here again, she didn't quite know what to make of the situation.

She parked right beside Alex and Kate. Kate took Hailey out of her car seat, and the three of them entered the motel room together.

Yuri and his daughters were still unloading their luggage from the rental car and taking it into the motel room. Alex went to help them while Kate sat on the sofa holding the baby and Dorothy sat beside her.

"Want to go to Grandma?" Kate asked her daughter. Dorothy held her hands out invitingly, and Hailey grinned and went to her.

The others left the luggage in the bedroom and then joined Kate and Dorothy in the living room. Alex sat on the sofa beside his wife, and the other three sat in chairs. Yuri pulled his chair up to the sofa right beside Dorothy.

"I am sorry I cannot offer you refreshments," Yuri said. He meant it for all his visitors, but he looked at Dorothy when he said it.

"Oh, that's all right! We're fine!" Dorothy said generously.

"She is precious." Yuri smiled at Hailey, and he held his hand out to her. Hailey looked troubled.

"No hair on head frighten you, yes?" Yuri chuckled as he rubbed his bald head.

"She's a little bit afraid of men she doesn't know," Kate said apologetically.

"How old are your daughters?" Dorothy asked Yuri.

"Inna is eighteen, and Zoya is sixteen," he told her. "If we decide to stay, they will go to school here in fall."

"I hope things work out where you can stay," Dorothy told him.

"I hope so too." He gave her a smile that made her heart flutter. "Inna and Zoya have never been to United States. Many opportunities for them here." He looked at Dorothy. "So do you think that you would ever marry again?"

"I don't know," Dorothy replied honestly. "After what Stan did to me, I'm not sure I could ever find a man I could trust again."

"Yet such man may exist," Yuri said thoughtfully. "You never know."

Dorothy blushed slightly. "What about you, Yuri? Do you want to get married again someday?"

"Perhaps someday, if right woman come along."

Dorothy didn't know what to say. "So, tell me about Michael," Yuri continued.

Dorothy smiled. "Michael's in the army. His wife's name is Annie, and they have two children. Tyson's six, and Tara's almost three." She took a photograph from her purse and showed it to Yuri.

"Ah! They are beautiful children." Yuri grinned. "They have beautiful grandmother as well."

Dorothy blushed deeply.

"So you have job, yes?" asked Yuri.

"I'm retired," Dorothy told him.

Alex, Kate, and Dorothy ended up staying much longer than they'd originally planned, finally leaving with reluctance so that the Rozanovs could get settled in.

"They like each other," Kate said to her husband when they got home."I can tell."


	3. Chapter 3

"I'll bet you don't have anything like this in Russia, do you?" Dorothy asked Inna and Zoya as she parked at the flea market.

"Oh, yes," said Zoya. "There is really nice one in Moscow."

"Oh, well..." Dorothy was somewhat taken aback, as she'd thought that shopping at a flea market would be a whole new experience for the girls. Yuri had gone to a knife show, and Dorothy had offered to spend the day with his daughters.

"I am glad you take us here," Zoya continued, seeing Dorothy's reaction to her news. "We love to shop at _bloshinyy rynok."  
_

Dorothy and the girls got out of the car and headed for the nearest row of tables. The heat of the sun beating down upon them promised yet another searing hot day, and Dorothy, aware that her young companions weren't accustomed to such climate, was glad that the entire flea market was covered.

The first few stalls they came to offered mostly junk, rusted electronic equipment, cords that didn't really attach to anything, containers of rusty nails and screws. "Inna! _Smotret!" _Zoya squealed with delight when she saw the third stall, which had a large assortment of costume jewelry.

_"Da! Yah veezhoo!" _Inna replied, dashing to look at the jewelry with her sister. Dorothy chuckled, remembering her own teenage years and reflecting on how much fashions had changed over the years.

Further along in the first row were various other assorted treasures: clothing, books, antiques, make-up, and many other items. Dorothy had to gasp when she saw one particular object. "It's the yearbook from the year I graduated high school!" she told Inna and Zoya. Quickly she found the appropriate page. "This is me when I was seventeen," she told Yuri's daughters.

"You were very _krasivaya _lady, just as you are now," Zoya said politely.

"Well, thank you," Dorothy replied, guessing at the meaning of _'krasivaya.'_

Later, they arrived at a table laden with books written in Russian. "Oh, I am in heaven!" Inna exclaimed.

Zoya rolled her eyes. "My sister, she live with her nose in book always," she muttered.

"Would you like to look at something else?" Dorothy asked the younger girl. "Your sister can catch up to us when she's finished looking here."

"Yes!" Zoya exclaimed. They soon came to a stall at which a woman sat selling different unusual flavors of fudge. "Banana pudding! My favorite!" Zoya said. Dorothy thought that the fudge was a little expensive considering what small portions it was sold in, but she didn't say anything when Zoya bought it.

After a couple of hours, Dorothy took the girls to a seafood restaurant for lunch, where Zoya ordered a chicken sandwich. "She is allergic to most shellfish," Inna explained to Dorothy.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Dorothy replied. "I love oysters, shrimp, and lobster myself."

"I eat boiled shrimp once," Zoya said. "I break out in red spots all over. It was terrible!"

"Poor baby!" Dorothy gave her a hug. She couldn't help feeling a bit maternal toward Yuri's daughters, even though she hadn't known them for very long. Zoya stiffened slightly at the gesture of affection, and Dorothy wondered if she'd done something wrong.

After lunch, she took the girls back to her house, where Inna immediately settled back in the recliner to read one of her new books and Dorothy turned the television on for herself and Zoya. A few minutes later, Zoya took out the banana pudding fudge she'd bought at the flea market and took a bite. Right away her eyes bugged out as she gasped for breath.

Quick as a flash, Dorothy grabbed the epinephrine injector she kept in her medicine cabinet and injected it into Zoya's upper thigh. Within moments, the girl's breathing had returned to normal.

"What happen?" Alarmed, Inna had jumped up from the recliner as soon as she'd heard her sister wheezing. She saw the partially eaten fudge and began to shout angrily in Russian at Zoya, who sobbed.

"She have severe food allergy, not only to shellfish, but to many other food as well," Inna explained to Dorothy. "She know that she should not eat food that is not from store, but she do anyway."

Although Zoya seemed fine within moments, Dorothy dreaded Yuri's return. She was afraid that the day had been ruined and that he would be upset at her for what had happened to Zoya.

When he finally returned, both girls hurried to meet him, babbling in Russian. At first he looked shocked, but then he looked at Dorothy in amazement. "You save my daughter's life!" he exclaimed.

"I'm just so glad I had the EpiPen," she replied. "I always keep one on hand for when Tyson visits. He has all kinds of food allergies. I had no idea Zoya did too. I never would have let her buy the fudge if I had known."

"But you did not know," Yuri pointed out. "Do not feel bad, _dorogaya. _It is not your fault. What you do save Zoya's life." He embraced her tightly, more tightly than he ever had before, and she inhaled the musky scent of his aftershave. "You save my daughter's life." His voice was husky with emotion. "I do not know how to thank you."


	4. Chapter 4

"I only did what anyone would have done," Dorothy said modestly. "It's not like I performed some great act of heroism or anything."

"I know that," Yuri replied. "But she is my daughter, my _lapochka. _That make all the difference to me." His fingers lightly brushed her cheek. "At least let me take you to nice restaurant tonight. Just us two."

"But what about the girls? What will they eat?"

"I will return to motel room and prepare meal for them right now. That will be fine, yes? So that your Papa can have nice time with friend?"_  
_

"Oh, yes, Papa!" Inna exclaimed.

"We will be fine," added Zoya.

To Dorothy's relief, both girls looked pleased. Yuri left with his daughters, giving her time to prepare for their first real date.

Yuri arrived a couple of hours later dressed more nicely than she'd ever seen him before, in black slacks and a grey polo shirt. She herself wore a frilly black dress and black flats. When she saw him, her heartbeat quickened, and she felt an odd ache inside that she hadn't felt in a very long time.

"Ah, Elya, you are beautiful!" he exclaimed. "Beautiful," he repeated softly, taking both her hands into his own. She blushed madly.

"Shall we go, then?" he asked.

On the way to the restaurant, Dorothy felt as if she were on top of the world. The only explanation she could think of was that it seemed that a whole new era of life was about to open up for her, one full of both excitement and challenges.

She had to gasp when she saw what restaurant Yuri was parking at, as it was quite possibly the most expensive restaurant in the area. He smiled and took her hand as they walked inside together. Right away, a neatly uniformed young man led them to their table and handed them menus.

"Order anything you want," Yuri said generously.

Unfamiliar with most of the items, Dorothy ordered a dish that looked appetizing and that she guessed was about medium-priced.

"I still feel a little bit guilty about the girls," she said after the waiter had departed.

"There is no reason for you to be," Yuri assured her. "They are very happy that I meet you again. They have wanted me to be with nice lady for long time now."

"So do you think they like me?"

"They like you very much, darling Dorothy. Almost as much as I do." He smiled and reached across the table for her hands. "It is funny thing. After Svetlana die, I feel lonely for very long time, but since I met you again, I do not feel lonely anymore."

Dorothy bit her bottom lip and stared at the tabletop, blushing furiously. She didn't know what to say.

"I hope that I did not make you uncomfortable." Yuri was immediately apologetic. "I know that it is still very early, that we meet again only few weeks ago, but feeling that I have for you is already quite strong."

"What did you think of me the first time you met me almost thirty years ago?"

"I thought that you were lovely American lady, much nicer than most Americans I meet. Even though you are afraid you still want to help me. I never forget that."

Dorothy giggled.

Yuri smiled. "What is funny?"

"When you first came to our house, once I got over being afraid, I remember being surprised by how good looking you were."

Now it was Yuri's turn to blush furiously. Dorothy felt very awkward, wondering whether she'd said the wrong thing.

"I also thought that you were very pretty lady," Yuri said a moment later. "But I also could see that you love your husband, and I would not try to take you away from him, even if I could."

"So you weren't already married to Svetlana the first time you came?"

"Oh, no. I first meet her few years after that. She was love of my life. We marry, have Inna and Zoya. Life was good for long time, and then suddenly, it was over."

"I'm sorry," Dorothy said awkwardly. "I didn't mean to bring back sad memories for you."

"That is all right." Yuri smiled gently. "I do not mind to talk about it. It is past now. I hope to have happy future with you."


	5. Chapter 5

"Come on, take a step," Kate encouraged. Hesitantly, Hailey moved one foot slightly forward. "Good girl!" her mother praised.

"Soon you will be running around all over the yard," Alex told his daughter.

Dorothy and Yuri were having a barbecue with Alex and Kate in the latter's back yard on one of the last weekends of that summer. Kate was trying to get her daughter to walk by holding the baby's hands in her own. With much encouragement, Hailey had finally taken her first tentative step of the day.

"I wish it could always be like this," Kate sighed. It was a perfectly gorgeous day, with hardly a cloud in the sky.

"If it were, perhaps we wouldn't appreciate it as much," Alex observed.

A spark flew from the grill and landed on the grass. Dorothy went to the grill to turn the meat. Nobody saw the bolt of lightning until she was lying motionless beside the grill. In a flash Yuri was there, pressing two fingers against her neck.

* * *

Dorothy opened her eyes to a world of dazzling, shimmering brightness. Ordinarily it would have hurt her eyes, but strangely, she felt no discomfort at all, only an unfamiliar euphoria. Confused, she looked around, wondering what had become of Yuri, Alex, and Kate. They were nowhere to be found. She felt a prickle of fear at the base of her spine.

Alone in the strangeness of this bright, new, dazzling world, she took a tentative step and was amazed to find that she seemed to be walking on solid gold. Suddenly she was standing right outside a field of brilliant colors, a sky more blue and grass more green than she'd ever seen before. A brilliant being was there, dressed in a long, white robe.

"It's not your time yet." The being's voice was full of compassion as he touched her arms, the contact feeling every bit as real as any other she'd ever experienced. "There's someone on earth who needs you. He loves you, Dorothy, and if you leave him, it will break his heart."

"But how could I ever leave all of this?" she asked, gazing around at her indescribably beautiful surroundings with longing.

"It will all be yours someday, when it is time," the being told her. "But it isn't time yet, Dorothy. Return to him. He needs you, and so do the others."

She blinked, and suddenly she was lying in Alex and Kate's back yard gazing into the distraught brown eyes of Yuri, who was performing CPR on her.

"Dorothy! You are back!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"But what happened?" she asked weakly.

"You were struck by lightning," he told her. "Oh Dorothy, I was so afraid!" He gathered her into his arms and held her tight.

By this time, the ambulance had arrived, and he lifted her and helped her onto the stretcher. The paramedics allowed him to ride to the hospital with her, and he sat beside her all the way, holding her hand and murmuring comforting words.


	6. Chapter 6

When the ambulance arrived at the hospital, Dorothy was immediately wheeled into the emergency room, and Yuri was told to have a seat in the waiting room. "Why can't he stay with me?" Dorothy protested.

"We have to examine you for injuries first," a nurse told her. "He can see you again when we're finished."

"But I feel fine," Dorothy objected.

"Ma'am, you suffered a cardiac arrest less than thirty minutes ago," the nurse replied. "There's no way you're going to be discharged without a thorough examination."

_I really did die, _Dorothy told herself. Memories of her otherworldly experience came flooding back to her. Vividly she recalled the bright light, the golden street, meeting and speaking with the being. It was so totally unlike anything she'd ever experienced, and yet it was just as real as anything that had ever happened to her. Tears came to her eyes. How badly she'd wanted to stay in the beautiful garden! And yet she'd been pulled back to earth by...what? What had pulled her back to earth when she'd wanted so badly to stay where she was?

_There's someone on earth who needs you. He loves you, Dorothy, and if you leave him, it will break his heart. _Had he been talking about Yuri? Did Yuri love her?

Someone came to check Dorothy's vitals and draw her blood, and much later, she was taken to several other rooms containing various types of equipment where different tests were run on her. At last she was taken back to her cubicle in the emergency room. Less than five minutes later, Yuri appeared. She felt surprisingly glad to see him.

"Dorothy! Are you all right? I was so afraid!"

"I'm all right, I suppose. Just a bit tired, is all." She yawned. "They've been running a lot of tests on me."

"They have to make sure that lightning did not damage you on inside."

"I know, but...it's kind of tiring."

"But it is finally over. Rest now, _lyubov moya. _You have been through much today."

She wanted to ask him what _'lyubov moya' _meant but found that her mouth was too tired to form the words. She fell asleep with his hand caressing her hair.

* * *

Inna and Zoya came to visit Dorothy the next day. "Our Papa tell us what happen," said Inna. "He say that your heart stop and he have to get it started again. It is very scary!"

"I don't remember anything at all," Dorothy replied. "One minute I was standing up to turn the meat on the grill, and the next I was lying in the grass with your father giving me artificial respiration."

"I am so glad my Papa save you," said Zoya. "You are such nice lady. It would be too sad if you were gone."

"You're such a sweet girl." Suddenly near tears, Dorothy embraced the young girl. "Both of you are." She reached for Inna to include her in the hug as well. Yuri beamed.

Dorothy was discharged from the hospital several days later. Yuri, Inna, and Zoya stayed with her for her entire first day back at home, not allowing her to lift a finger to do anything and constantly asking her what she needed. At the end of the day, Yuri was reluctant to leave.

"In hospital, you have nurse there all day and night in case something go wrong," he said. "Here you are all alone."

"But what could go wrong?" Dorothy asked lightly. "The hospital said there was no permanent damage."

"I know that," Yuri replied. "But still, I cannot help but worry." Lightly he caressed her cheek. "I love you, Dorothy, and after what happen, I am so afraid. I could not stand to lose you."

So he _did _love her! Her heart felt as if it had wings. Until that moment, she hadn't realized how important the answer to that question was. "Go back home with your daughters," she told him. "They need you there. I'll be all right, I promise."

He kissed her then, for the very first time. The warmth of his lips against hers sent shivers down her spine. It ended far too quickly. "Good-bye, dearest Dorothy." His voice was almost a whisper. "I hope you have sweet dream. I will talk to you tomorrow."

The school term started soon. Inna enrolled in Boston University, planning to return to Gloucester on weekends as often as possible, and Zoya enrolled in her junior year at the local high school. Dorothy took her shopping for clothes and school supplies the weekend before classes started. Yuri, who hated shopping for clothes, didn't go along but joined them for lunch later.

"Boy, did this morning bring back memories!" Dorothy exclaimed as they sat together in the restaurant. "How well I remember taking Kate shopping every year for her school supplies and new clothes!"

"I remember going shopping with my Mama as well, long time ago," said Zoya. "I enjoy going shopping with her, and I also enjoy going shopping with you as well."

"I am so glad you both have nice time," said Yuri.

"I cannot wait to show you my new clothes," Zoya said to her father.

"And I cannot wait to see them," Yuri replied. "You are welcome to come over after lunch," he told Dorothy.

"All right," she agreed. She'd planned to take a nap and catch up on some housework, but suddenly the idea of spending several hours with Yuri seemed much more attractive.


	7. Chapter 7

"Is everything all right, Zoya?" Dorothy asked Yuri's daughter. She'd gone to their place for dinner, as she usually did on Friday evenings, and she'd noticed that Zoya seemed unusually quiet.

"No, it is not!" The young girl suddenly burst into tears and ran to her bedroom. Dorothy ran after her and opened the door a crack to see Zoya lying across the bed sobbing. She opened the door wider and went and sat beside her, gently rubbing her back.

"I want to go back to Russia," Zoya moaned.

"But why? What happened?"

"I do not like it here," Zoya complained. "People at school, they are mean to me. They say 'You talk funny' and 'You do not belong here' and 'Go back where you came from.' They call me 'Ruskkie' and say that I am baby because I cannot eat food from cafeteria and have to bring other food from home."

"I'm so sorry," Dorothy said. "I know how you feel. I got made fun of in school too."

"You _did?" _Zoya rubbed her eyes and looked at Dorothy in surprise.

"I was incredibly clumsy, and I was horrible at sports," Dorothy told her. "I couldn't hit the side of a barn with a ball. The other kids used to call me 'butterfingers.' They used to always say 'Don't let Dorothy beat you' to any kid who was doing badly."

Zoya smiled. "I am good at sports. They are not mean to me when I am doing sports."

"You see? Everybody has their strong points and their weak points," Dorothy said. "Don't let it bother you when the others make fun of you. It says more about them than it does about you."

"I did not think about it like that before," Zoya said. "Thank you, Dorothy."

* * *

It was a cool, brisk evening in October. Zoya had gone to a slumber party at a friend's house, and Yuri and Dorothy had spent the afternoon at the park, chasing one another through the fallen leaves and laughing. Now they sat beside Dorothy's fireplace, drinking hot apple cider.

"I make important decision," Yuri announced. "I am going to apply for permanent residency to stay here in United States. It is my home now."

"I'm really glad, Yuri." Dorothy hadn't really thought that Yuri would return to Russia, but she was happy to hear it from him.

"I make another important decision as well." Yuri's voice grew soft. "It is about woman who has become more important to me than my own life even, woman who is very special and dear to me. Woman I cannot live without." He paused. Dorothy felt her heartbeat quicken. "I want to be with you always, dearest Dorothy. Will you marry me?"


	8. Chapter 8

"I love you, Yuri." There were tears of joy in Dorothy's eyes. "Yes, I'll marry you."

"Oh, Dorothy, you make me so happy!" Yuri exclaimed. "I can't wait to tell Inna and Zoya!"

"And I can't wait to tell Michael and Kate!" added Dorothy. "When do you think would be a good time to have the wedding?"

Yuri considered her question. "How about on New Year's Day? I think that would be perfect time to start our new life together." He took a small box from his pocket and opened it to show her. Inside was a beautiful diamond ring. "I hope you like it."

"Oh, it's gorgeous!" Dorothy breathed. Yuri took the ring from the box and slipped it onto her finger.

Much later, she walked him to the door and said good-bye.

The following morning was Sunday, and Dorothy went to church as usual. Alex, Kate, and Hailey arrived less than five minutes after she did.

"Oh, isn't she gorgeous!" Dorothy enthused when she saw Hailey in her light pink dress with the rows of ruffles, matching socks, and black patent leather shoes. Kate had tied a pink bow in her flaxen blonde hair. "Won't you come see Grandma?"

Hailey grinned and stretched her arms out to her grandmother.

"She adores you," Kate told Dorothy.

"And I adore her, too!" Dorothy kissed the little girl's chubby cheek. "She's really grown, hasn't she!"

"She can finally wear a size twelve months," Kate said hopefully.

"And before you know it, she'll be outgrown that!" Dorothy assured her. "I can't wait to tell you what happened last night. Yuri proposed!" She showed her daughter the diamond ring.

"That's wonderful!" Kate exclaimed. "When's the date?"

"We decided to have the wedding on New Year's Day," Dorothy replied. "It's symbolic of starting our new life together, you know? It's so funny, Kate. After I lost Stan, I thought I'd never be able to love another man, and yet I found love again from the most unlikely place."

* * *

Dorothy went home and was just about to make herself a sandwich when she heard the doorbell ring and looked out the window to see the smiling faces of Yuri and Zoya.

Eagerly she opened the door and was immediately hugged fiercely by Zoya. "My Papa tell me good news! I am so happy!"

"So am I, sweetie." Dorothy embraced the girl tightly.

"May I see ring?" asked Zoya. Dorothy showed it to her. "Oh, it is very pretty!" Yuri's daughter exclaimed.

"I hope you did not already have lunch," Yuri said with a grin.

"Why, no! I was just about to make myself a sandwich..."

"Good!" Yuri exclaimed. "We take you out to lunch to celebrate!"

Dorothy quickly glanced down at herself. "Well, I just changed out of my church clothes..."

"You look fine!" Yuri insisted.

"Well, if you think so..."

"You are beautiful lady, Dorothy, no matter what you wear. Come on, Zoya and I take you out to nice lunch."

Dorothy happily locked up and went with them.


	9. Chapter 9

"High school where Zoya go have football game Friday," Yuri told Dorothy one cool October evening. "Zoya and I would love for you to go with us."

"That sounds like fun!" Dorothy exclaimed. "I haven't been to a high school football game since Annie was in high school more than ten years ago."

When she arrived at the stadium, Dorothy felt a strong wave of nostalgia wash over her. "It's just like I remember it all those years ago," she told Yuri.

"Hey look, here comes the Russkie!" shouted a boy from the bleachers. His friends who were sitting with him began to chant. "Russkie! Russkie!"

"I want to go home." There were tears in Zoya's eyes.

"You're not going home." Dorothy's voice was firm as she placed a protective arm around the girl's shoulders. "You're going to stay right here and show them that it doesn't bother you."

Somehow they found a bleacher with enough room for three to sit on, and the game began. Zoya looked longingly at the cheerleaders.

"I want to try out for cheerleader squad, but they tell me it is too late for this year," she told Dorothy. "They say I have to wait until next year."

"I'm sure you'll get in next year," Dorothy said. "Annie tried out for that when she was in high school, but she wasn't quite well coordinated enough."

"At least I am in gymnastics club," said Zoya. "I enjoy it very much."

"I'm glad you do."

Zoya's high school won the game by a narrow margin, and afterwards, two girls approached them. "Zoya!" said one girl. "Want to go for ice cream with us?"

"Can I, Papa? Please?" Zoya asked Yuri.

"Be home by twelve," he told her.

"Spasibo, Papa!" Zoya squealed as she left with her friends.

Yuri and Dorothy looked at one another. Suddenly Yuri grinned. "Look like it is just the two of us now."

"Want to go for ice cream?" Dorothy teased.

Yuri laughed. "Zoya would die of embarrassment to see me there."

"Who were those girls?"

"They are on gymnastics team with Zoya. They come over every so often. They are nice girls."

"I'm glad she finally has some friends."

"And I as well. In Russia she always have friends. There, it is Inna I have to worry about. But here, it is different. It take little while longer for Zoya to make friends, but she finally do."

He took her to the same lounge he'd taken her to the night after Daisy's birthday party. They had a couple of drinks each and danced for awhile, and then he took her home.

"I hope that you have nice time," he told her at the door.

"I had a great time!" she said truthfully. "I'd just about forgotten what it was like to live with a teenager."

Yuri laughed. "You will have to get used to it again very soon." He kissed her good-bye, and she watched as he drove away.

* * *

"You must have grown about a foot since the last time I saw you!" Dorothy exclaimed as she embraced her grandson, Tyson.

"Hallo, Grandma!" Tyson replied. "That means 'hello'!"

"And so it does," said Dorothy. "And just look at you now! No front teeth!"

"No, Grandma, only two of them are gone!" The little boy giggled. "I still have all the rest!"

Michael, Annie, and their children had had the good fortune to be allowed to come home for Christmas, and Dorothy had gone to the airport to meet them. She'd invited Yuri and his daughters to come along as well, but Yuri had declined, saying that the Zbornaks would probably prefer some one-on-one time with just Dorothy first.

"And just look at my Tara!" Dorothy reached for her granddaughter, who regarded her warily.

"It's your Grandma, Tara!" Annie told her daughter. "Don't you remember?"

"It's Grandma, Tara!" added Tyson. "You know Grandma!"

"It's all right," said Dorothy. "She'll come around soon."

Alex had generously offered to come along to help take the Zbornaks back to Dorothy's, where they'd be staying for the two weeks they'd be spending in town. The group split themselves and their luggage between the two cars, and they were on their way.

It was very late when they finally reached the Dorothy's home, so Annie got both children settled in bed and she and Michael sat up drinking coffee and chatting with Dorothy. Annie told Dorothy all about life in Germany and updated her on the children's progress.

"Tyson loves first grade," she told her. "He's learning to read and to add and subtract. His teacher says he's a joy to have in the class. Tara's talking in complete sentences now, and she's almost completely potty trained. She only has an accident every so often."

"I'm so proud of them both!" Dorothy exclaimed. "I feel like I've missed out on so much of their lives!"

"How have things been for you, Mom?" asked Michael. "Have you made any new friends?"

"That's something I've been wanting to talk to you about," Dorothy told her son. "You remember how I told you about Yuri Rozanov being back in town now?"

Michael nodded.

"Well, he and I have gotten to know one another really well over the past six months, and...he's asked me to marry him. We plan to do it on New Year's Day."

"Oh, Mom, that's great! I've been hoping you'd meet someone for ever so long. Dad's been gone awhile, and I know how lonely you get sometimes."

"You'll met him and his daughters tomorrow," said Dorothy.

"His daughters?"

His mother nodded. "Inna's eighteen, and Zoya's sixteen. Inna's away at college, and Zoya goes to the same high school you graduated from."

"Oh, Mom, that's so cool!"

Yuri, Inna, and Zoya came over for lunch the following day. "You do not remember me, no?" Yuri asked Michael.

He shook his head. "That was so long ago, and I was so small."

Yuri chuckled. "It is all right. I understand. It is wonderful to see that you have nice family of your own now. Your children are so lovely."

"Thank you." He blushed slightly.


	10. Chapter 10

.All Yuri and Dorothy's family and friends attended their wedding at Dorothy's church on New Year's Day. Afterwards, the new couple paid a visit to the area where they planned to spend the night in a local bed and breakfast.

"It is similar to your home, yet different at same time," Yuri commented as they ate boiled lobster at a seafood restaurant.

After dinner, they went dancing and then back to the bed and breakfast. Dorothy waited eagerly for her new husband to emerge from the restroom that night. She'd never made love to any man except Stan before. Would her first night with Yuri turn out to be as awkward as her first night with Stan had been? Would he find her too awkward and unskilled? Would she be able to please him?

At last he entered the bedroom, clad only in a terrycloth bathrobe. He sat beside Dorothy on the bed, cupping her face in his hand. "You are little bit nervous, yes?"

She nodded.

"I am as well, but never mind. It will be all right." As they began to kiss passionately, Dorothy felt her anxiety transform into desire. They began to caress one another, and the bathrobe fell away, exposing Yuri's genitals.

Dorothy gasped, slightly taken aback. "I've never seen one of those before."

Yuri laughed. "I do not believe you. You have husband and son. Of course you have seen penis before."

"No, I mean..." She blushed furiously, feeling more awkward then she'd ever felt before. "I meant, I've never seen an intact foreskin before."

"Ah. You would not believe it, Dorothy, but my mother was Jewish."

"Why didn't she have it done, then?"

"It was banned by Soviets long before I was born."

"Oh, well...that makes sense, I suppose."

Yuri smiled. "I hope that you are not disappointed."

"Oh, no, not at all! I was just a little bit surprised, is all."

"You can no longer get pregnant, no?"

"Oh, no. All that was over a long time ago."

"Good. Then there is no worry."

He entered her, and they made love for the first time. "You are happy, Dorothy?" he asked as they cuddled together afterwards.

"I never thought I'd be this happy again." She found that, to her surprise, she was near tears. "Are you?"

"I am very happy, Dorothy, and it is all because of you. I love you so very much."

"I love you too, Yuri." Drowsily content, they drifted to sleep together in one another's arms.

* * *

"No reason to be afraid," Yuri told Dorothy. "Beginner's slope is easy."

"I just can't help but think that perhaps I'm...a bit too old for this." Dorothy's teeth were chattering. The newlyweds were at the Blue Hills Reservation in Canton, where Yuri was teaching his new wife to ski.

"Nonsense!" Yuri grinned. "There is no such thing as too old to ski."

"OK...here goes nothing!" Dorothy squeezed her eyes shut as she pushed off. She felt the wind against her face as she flew downward and opened her eyes to see a world of white soaring past. Before she knew it, she'd reached the bottom of the slope, where she looked over at her husband beside her.

"That was out of this world!" she exclaimed. "Now I don't know what I was so afraid of!"

Yuri laughed.

They spent that entire day on the slopes, then returned to the lodge, where they cuddled together eating soup and drinking hot apple cider. Dorothy's teeth were still chattering.

"I don't think I've ever been so cold in my life," she told Yuri. "But I don't think I've ever had more fun, either!"

Yuri held her close. "I am so glad we come," he told her. "For long time I hope to find woman to share fun and adventure with, and at last, I find her."

* * *

Dorothy knew that something was wrong as soon as she tried to get up the following morning. Her head was spinning, and she felt weak as she fell back onto the pillow.

"Dorothy?" Yuri looked at her in alarm.

"I'm sorry, Yuri," she said. "I don't think I'm gonna be able to join you on the slopes today."

"What is wrong?"

"I'm not really sure." She frowned. "I just feel weak all over."

Yuri sighed. "It is my fault," he said. "I overdo it yesterday, push you too hard. You are not used to so much activity."

"I'm sorry," said Dorothy. "I feel like I'm ruining your fun. You can go on ahead without me, you know. I'll just stay here and rest. I'll be fine."

"Oh, no," said Yuri. "I would not even think of it."

Dorothy lay back against the pillow and closed her eyes.

"May I say prayer for you?" asked Yuri.

His wife's eyes widened in shock. "I thought you weren't a believer!"

Yuri smiled. "When I was little boy and got sick, my mother pray over me," he told her. "It was prayer her own mother, my grandmother, taught her."

"Well, of course! By all means!"

Yuri placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and began. "Mi shebeirach avoteinu vimoteinu bis'char zeh HaKodosh Baruch hu yishm'reihah yatzilehah mikol tzarah v'tzukal umikol nega umachalah v'yishlach b'rachah v'halzlachah v'chol mooseh yadeha."

"That was beautiful!" said Dorothy. "Maybe I'll learn Russian someday."

"That was not Russian," said Yuri. "It was Yiddish."

"Your grandmother spoke Yiddish?"

"She did at home," Yuri replied. "She was only one in her family to survive pogrom, you know. She hide in cellar when Cossacks come, and when she go back upstairs, she find her whole family dead. She run to closest neighbor. Their house and all belongings are gone of course, but they are still alive. They were working in field when pogrom happen. They take her in and care for her as one of their own, and when she is little bit older, she marry their son."

"Aw, that sounds romantic!" said Dorothy. "So sad about what happened to her family, though. So how did your parents meet?"

"One day my mother tell my grandmother that she is going to study, but she go to dance instead. She meet my father at dance." He laughed, and Dorothy joined in.

"They are together long enough for my mother to have me, and then my father disappear during Stalinist purge. No one ever see him again. My mother remarry when I am little. My stepfather was cruel and beat me. My mother try to protect me but she is not strong enough. After few years, she have another baby. My stepfather adore my sister, but she have bad heart. She die in surgery when she is little girl."

"That's terrible!" said Dorothy. "I'm so sorry!"

"It is all right." Yuri smiled. "Past is behind me now, and I have good life with woman I love."

"So was Rozanov your father's or your stepfather's name?"

"Rozanov was my father. My stepfather was Dvorkin."

"And what was the name of your little sister who died?"

"Her name was Inna."


End file.
